This year we chose to do something a little out of the norm for us as a family and that was to not travel or host family, or any parties, at the holidays.
The theme of our holidays has been rest.
I have always wanted to do all the things around the holidays, and really all year long to be honest. Everything ramps up with Halloween, followed by our oldest son’s birthday, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Bam, it’s a new year before we know it. Each year seems to get busier and busier with school performances and parties, friend and family get togethers, and the constant pressure (thanks social media) to create the perfect, Pinterst-worthy experience for our children.
All of these things are what led to complete burn out for me last year. Like the I didn’t want to get out of bed burn out and what led to me going back to therapy beginning of 2024. I was determined for this holiday season to be different this year. For one, I’ve committed this year to self-care and stress management. After much thought and conversations, my husband and I decided it would be best to for our family of four to stay home between Christmas and New Years, not host an annual Christmas party with friends or host family for multiple days. We also committed to NOT committing to any big plans.
Our decision has been amazing, and our holidays have been nothing short of pure enjoyment. *That’s not to say we haven’t had a messy house, kid meltdowns here and there, and my husband did not have many days off work. We also had my parents over for a few hours on Christmas day to celebrate with them. We then spent Christmas afternoon on the sofa napping with A Christmas Story on TV and the boys playing with their new toys. This time at home has also allowed me time to thoroughly enjoy decorating for Christmas and the time to enjoy said decor.
I told my husband this week, the holidays have been so lovely, I may want to do this again next year 🙂
Our Christmas Traditions:
- Bake cookies Christmas Eve and watch White Christmas
- Go to the movies as a family – we saw Sonic 3
- Met friends for dinner and drinks
- Day date to Christmas shop and have dinner
- One on one time with each boys – science museums this holiday season
- Christmas movies and homemade hot chocolate at home
- Drive around to see Christmas lights
What I’ve Gained From This Year’s Holiday Season
- Rest and relaxation
- Time to brainstorm and plan for the new year
- Reflect on the past year – I could write an entire post on how much I have grown in 2024. But I can truly say I am proud of who I am closing out this year.
- Gratitude – for time with our family and time to slow down
- Stillness – this past year has been go, go, go. It has been nice to have a solid week and a half to just pause from the everyday hustle and bustle
Today, New Years Eve, I started to feel 1. ready for Christmas decor to come down ASAP and 2. sad for Christmas/the holidays to be over. I think those are both only natural to feel right now. I took time to write down my intentions for the new year and currently enjoying a relaxing evening with my husband, about to ring in the new year.
